2016 Jeep COMPASS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
293 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
55,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2016 model year. Data snapshot: . 181 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 135 of 293 complaints (46.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 114 | 38.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 32 | 10.9% |
| Braking behavior | 23 | 7.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 21 | 7.2% |
| Steering behavior | 21 | 7.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 135 |
| Electrical System | 61 |
| Unknown Or Other | 47 |
| Power Train | 44 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 24 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 16 |
| Steering | 16 |
Engine: 135; Electrical System: 61; Unknown Or Other: 47; Power Train: 44; Vehicle Speed Control: 30; Engine And Engine Cooling: 24; Fuel/Propulsion System: 16; Steering: 16
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 31 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 40 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 69 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 22 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 15 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 31; 25,000 to 49,999: 40; 50,000 to 74,999: 69; 75,000 to 99,999: 22; 100,000 to 149,999: 15; 150,000 and above: 4
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (69). 112 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 32 |
| 2019 | 56 |
| 2020 | 49 |
| 2021 | 18 |
| 2022 | 35 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 23 |
2016: 6; 2017: 15; 2018: 32; 2019: 56; 2020: 49; 2021: 18; 2022: 35; 2023: 23; 2024: 21; 2025: 15; 2026: 23
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 114 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 32 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 23 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10948018 · 2017-01-27 (January 27, 2017)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP COMPASS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V907000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,60…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10948018 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10969258 · 2017-03-29 (March 29, 2017)
MY 2016 JEEP COMPASS HAS STALLED OUT TWICE WITHIN APPROXIMATELY A 7-WEEK PERIOD. ONCE IN A PARKING LOT (2/8/2017) AND TODAY (3/29/2017) A STALL-OUT OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC. TODAY, I WAS STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN. TRAFFIC WAS BACKED-UP, SO WHEN IT BEGAN TO MOVE, I MOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDAL TO MAKE THE TURN, AND THE JEEP STALLED. I PUT THE JEEP IN NEUTRAL, AND IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED. HOWEVER, THIS WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. BETWEEN THE STALL-OUTS, THE VEHICLE WILL "JERK" PERIODICALLY, ESPECIALLY AFTER SLOWIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10969258 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10957527 · 2017-02-28 (February 28, 2017)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP COMPASS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V609000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10957527 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11052015 · 2017-12-02 (December 2, 2017)
TAKATA RECALL. AT RANDOM MOMENTS WITHOUT HITTING THE WIPPER SWITCH AT ALL THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. SOMETIMES IF I TURN MY BLINKER ON WHICH IS A OPPOSITE STICK THEY WILL ACTIVATE. WHEN THIS DOES HAPPEN MY LIGHTS WILL FLICKER VERY BRIEFLY. I HAVE HAD NO KIND OF ALTERATIONS DONE TO THE VEHICLE COSMETIC OR ELECTRICAL SO I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. AND YES EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS IT'S WHILE THE VIC IS IN MOTION.
Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11052015 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10936121 · 2016-12-19 (December 19, 2016)
ON DECEMBER 9, 2016 I RENTED A JEEP COMPASS AND ON THAT DAY I HAD A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY. VERY LOW TRAFFIC AREA. BEFORE APPLYING THE BRAKE, I WAS DRIVING AT A SAFE SPEED FOR THE ROAD CONDITIONS - FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MPH ON FRESH SNOW AND SOME PACKED SNOW OVER A PAVED ROAD BASE. AT ABOUT TWENTY TO TWENTY FIVE FEET BEFORE A STOP SIGN I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE DID NOTHING. THERE WAS CLICKING NOISES AND THE COMPASS SEEMED TO ACCELERATE. I CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKE AS I ROLLED THROUGH THE STOP AREA FOR…
Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10936121 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10852499 · 2016-03-30 (March 30, 2016)
AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL DRIVE TO A STORE, WHEN I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF THE PARKING LOT INTO MOVING TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY SLUGGISHLY, LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN TOP GEAR OR THE ENGINE WASN'T ABLE TO BE REV'ED UP. PUSHING ACCELERATOR TO FLOOR CAUSED ENGINE TO REV UP TO APPROXIMATELY 3500 RPM ONLY, AND RATE OF ACCELERATION DID NOT IMPROVE. TRIED SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS DID NOT RESTORE THE EXPECTED ACCELERATION BEHAVIOR. TRIED TO PUT TRANSMISSION INTO MANUAL SHIFT MODE BY MOVING GEAR S…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,480 miles reported. Look up ODI 10852499 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11093498 · 2018-05-12 (May 12, 2018)
MY MECHANIC BELIEVE'S I HAVE A SENSOR ISSUE GOING ON WITH MY TRANSMISSION. IT SEEMS TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AS OTHER CERTAIN MODEL YEARS AS MINE. EVERY DRIVE I TAKE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS. HE HAS RULED OUT EVERYTHING ELSE, AND ONE OR TWO OF THE SENSORS ARE POINTING TO MY TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME AN ACCIDENT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TIMES. AT THIS POINT I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING IT.
Owner-reported narrative. 48,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11093498 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10824659 · 2016-02-06 (February 6, 2016)
WHILE AT MILOSCH PALACE CHRYSLER JEEP DEALERSHIP IN LAKE ORION I NOTICED THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE WAS CONTACTING THE FRONT SUSPENSION SWAY BAR AT STATIONARY CURB CONDITION. THIS IS A DESIGN VIOLATION WHICH I TOLD FCA ABOUT WHEN I WORKED THERE IN 2014. THE ISSUE HAS EXISTED NOW FROM JULY OF 2014 UNTIL NOW. THE HOSE CAN WEAR A HOLE IN IT DUE TO A 2 INCH RUBBING INTERFERENCE WITH SUSPENSION MOVEMENT AND THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE STEERING ASSIST AND POWER STEERING FLUID CAN SPRAY IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING A FIRE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10824659 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10897932 · 2016-08-23 (August 23, 2016)
I WAS ON A VACATION TRIP AND MY SON WAS DRIVING. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND HE CRASHED INTO A POLE. MY WIFE AND I THOUGHT THE STEERING WAS ROUGH BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD EASE UP. AFTER THE CAR WAS HIT THE AXEL ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE WAS DESTROYED. HE WASN'T MOVING FAST ENOUGH FOR THE AXEL TO GET DAMAGED WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE AXEL WAS POORLY CONSTRUCTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. NO MY CAR IS STUCK IN A FRIEND'S DRIVEWAY WITH NO WAY OF GETTING IT HOME. THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10897932 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11233694 · 2019-07-21 (July 21, 2019)
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 (FIFTEEN) MILES ON A CITY STREET, I NOTICED MY CAR HAD CONSUMED 1/3 OF A FULL FUEL TANK. ENGINE WILL BEGIN TO STALL OUT IF SPEED IS 25MPH OR UNDER CAUSING AN ABRUPT AND NOTICEABLE DECREASE IN SPEED RESULTING IN PEOPLE HAVING TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME. CHANGE OIL LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHES ACROSS THE ODOMETER AND WILL NOT RESET NO MATTER WHAT I DO.
Owner-reported narrative. 44,889 miles reported. Look up ODI 11233694 at NHTSA ↗